COVID-19
UPDATE: March 24th, 2023
It has been a long three years since COVID-19 entered our lives. We have endured many changes along the way. We will remain in compliance with guidelines established by the Department of Health and CDC to ensure we do everything we can to keep COVID-19 out of our building.
According to the most recent memorandum from CMS regarding face coverings and masks. If the nursing home’s county COVID-19 Community Transmission is not high, the facility could choose not to require residents, staff, and visitors wear face coverings or masks while in the facility, except during an outbreak. The facility’s policies regarding face coverings and masks is based on recommendations from the CDC, state and local health departments, and individual facility circumstances.
With that said I am ecstatic to announce that Thorne Crest Senior Living Community has made the decision to remove face coverings and masks as a requirement while in the community. However, in the event of an outbreak and/or increase in Community Transmission level we reserve the right to reinstate the use of face coverings and masks.
NOTE: CDC states that Community Transmission is the metric currently recommended to guide select practices in healthcare settings to allow for earlier intervention, before there is strain on the healthcare system, including its workforce, and better protect the vulnerable individuals seeking care in these settings. The Community Transmission metric is different than the COVID-19 Community Level metric used for non-healthcare settings.
While we are lifting the face coverings and masks mandate, we will continue with the current facility guidelines with visiting in common areas.
Entrance into the building continues to be at Door A and as a security measure we are requiring all visitors to sign in and out via the Kiosk. In the event there is a change in our Community Transmission level it will be posted at the Kiosk as well. The safety of our residents and staff are a top priority.
I look forward to seeing everyone’s bright smiling faces throughout our community.
Sincerely,
Lorna L. Craig-Paulson
Community Administrator
Residents
At Thorne Crest the safety of our residents, families and staff is a top priority and we encourage all residents and staff to get vaccinated for their own well-being and to reduce the spread of COVID -19.
Residents
Along with the strong vaccination rates among our residents, we continually offer vaccination clinics in our communities to stay up to date with vaccinations and offer each new resident the opportunity for the COVID-19 vaccination. We still encourage residents to wear a mask when around others in common areas of the community.
Staff
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a rule mandating full vaccination for employees, volunteers, and contract service providers in health care settings, including nursing homes, that receive Medicare / Medicaid funding.
Surveillance Testing
Any community that receives federal funding conducts surveillance testing of residents and staff at our skilled nursing and assisted living communities. This allows us to identify positive COVID-19 cases among asymptomatic carriers so we can better contain and prevent infection.
Visitation
We encourage family and friends to visit loved ones, or if you are interested in learning more about our community feel free to call anytime to set up your private tour.
Visitors are asked screening questions upon entry and may be asked to wear masks and other infection control measures per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state health department guidelines. We ask our visitors (families and friends) to stay in resident apartments/rooms or conduct your visit outside the building, unless otherwise coordinated with our staff. Please wear a mask while checking in and traveling to/from resident apartments/rooms.
If a fully vaccinated visitor is visiting with a fully vaccinated resident in a resident room or apartment, neither the resident nor the visitor is required to wear a mask.
We ask that visitors not enter the community if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days or have had close unprotected contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or have COVID symptoms including fever, new cough, or new difficulty breathing.
Upon request by residents/visitors, designated visitation spaces may also be available. The visitation rooms provide comfort and privacy while maintaining social distancing.
Preventative Measures
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we adhere to the guidelines set forth by the (CDC) and the local Department of Health. This includes screening, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, surveillance testing, and regular surface cleaning.
Should our community experience a COVID-19 outbreak, we will take the appropriate steps to keep residents and staff healthy which includes notification to all residents, families, and staff.
Recommendations for bivalent vaccination
- Individuals 12 years of age or older should receive ONE bivalent mRNA booster after:
- completion of an FDA-authorized primary vaccine OR
- after the last original booster vaccine.
- This means staff and residents should receive a bivalent booster:
- Two months after a primary vaccination series is complete; OR
- If you’ve already had one booster, you should receive a bivalent booster two months after that booster; OR
- If you’ve already had two boosters, you should receive a bivalent booster two months after the second booster
When is someone considered up-to-date?
An individual is considered up-to-date when they have completed the primary vaccine series and received the most recent booster dose recommended by the CDC. We are considered up-to-date immediately after the booster vaccination; there is no waiting period.
Examples of someone who is up-to-date
- The primary vaccination series was received a year ago. A bivalent booster was received this morning. No other booster doses were received.
- The primary vaccination series was received. One monovalent booster was received two months ago. A bivalent booster was received this week.
COVID-19 Resources
CMS Vaccine Mandate
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-19-health-care-staff-vaccination-requirements-infographic.pdf
CDC Core Principles
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/nursing-home-long-term-care.html
State Health Department Links
MN | https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/ltc.html
IA | https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus/Long-Term-Care
WI | https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/nursing-homes.htm
SD | https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/
NE | https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Nebraska-Guidance-Documents.aspx#SectionLink4